Improved mode of desulphurizing iron ore



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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, JOHN LITTLE, of Ncwburg, in the county `of Orange, and State of New York, have invented a new and improved Mode of Desulphurizing Iron Orc, and preparing it for direct use for cupolas; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which malies a part of the specification, and on which the corresponding letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. i The natureof my invention consists in the heating 0f the iron orein a furnace with the direct flame of cokeor wood burned on a grate, to burn all sulphur possible, or draw'the sulphur away from the ore' in form of gas by the draught of the chimney, in which the flue from the fire of the furnace is going, and to heat the-ore red hot, draw it in this state of temperature from the tire, and dump it into cold water. The stones or the ore will break in smaller pieces, and all the remaining sulphur will be evaporated by the steam which is generated by the throwing of the heated ore into thewater. Inthe water is 'placed an iron truck or cart withperforatedk bottom and sides, so that the water can enter the box of the cart, and oni which `the ore is falling when being (lumped from thefurnace into thc water. As soon as thc Acart is lled it is drawn out of the water up an inclined plane of suicient height that the orc can be brought from there to rollers, which are adjustable, and which will crush the ore to pieces of a certain size.4 From these rollers the ore passes direct to the charging-door of a cupola to be mixed there with fluxes and materials which will reduce the ore to pure iron by means of a blast.

From `the spout of 'the furnace the iron is drawn for any work whatever. If the ore after being crushed needs again washing to clean it from adhering sulphur,

the charging-door of the cupola. In the annexed drawing is represented a part of the whole proceedings with the ore.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the furnace and a view of the inclined plane and rollers`V AFigure 2 is a section and front view of the same.

Figure 3 is a top view of the same.

A is a square furnace with two arches, Bl B2. The draught is going, as marked with arrows, down the flue G into a large chamber, wall, E, into two parts, Dl D2, and then through an opening, F, in the chimney H. On the door of the fluesor arches Bl B2 are one or more large plates, Sl S?, on which is piled up a quantity of iron orc which is tohe desulphurized. Those plates are very heavy, and are placed on rollers to be moved easily sidewaysrout'th'e furnace by means of chains, hooks, and a pair of cranes, Ml MZ, which are'placed on top of the furnace, and by'which those platesv with the ore on them can be easily drawn out the furnace, and the ore dumped from the plates into the water. The plates brought back to a horizontal position receive a new quantity of raw ore, and are then drawn back in thc furnace, as shown in fig. 2. The'sulphur in the ore exposed to the heat of the fire, and to the direct flame from coke or wood, will melt and evaporate, and be carried with the A draught'inthe chamber D. The sides of the chamber D contain some openings withV dampers for the admission of cold air into the chamber. The vapor of the sulphur brought in contact with the cold air will condense again and fall partially to the licor of the chamber in shape of a yellow powder, while a part of it is carried away by the draught into the chimney and into the open air. A movable arm, L, with a roller, over which the chain is running from the crane Ml to the platesrSl S2, can be lowered or raced, so that the one arm L is sucicnt to draw out the ore from the upper flue as well as from the lower one. The chain has to be attached only to a piece of chain o f the one or the other which wants to be removcd.` Right in front of the furnace A, below the openings for the plates, is made a little pond, Il, which is filled with water, and which is always supplied with fresh water. .The waste water is floating over a wear. into bags to be Iiltrated only to keep back the sulphur which is swimming on the water. .The pond is made deep enough that an iron car running ena track, with rails for the reception of the heated ore, islp'erfectly submerged in the water, The sides of the box and its bottom are .perforated to let the water enter freely by pushing the cart in-thc water, and let it run out again by being drawn out. In -this cart the ore is thrown after being heated in the furnace. The ore being suddenly cooled off by the water will burst or crack to smaller pieces, and the water entering the hot ore will-make steam, which carries with it a large quantity of sulphur contained vin the orc, if not all. This sulphur is condensed d), separated by a partition it will pass lagain through astream of water before lit enters` G is the grate, on which is built a fire with wood lo-r'colre.'

immediately in the Water, and is swimming as a yellow powder on the surface of the water, from where it; can be removed and saved in the manner aforesaid. I

When the box of th'e cart is filled with ore it is removed out the Water, and drawn up an inclined plane by means of another hoisting gear, Q. The ore is now dumped on another inclined plane, T, to slide down into the hopper for a pair of rollers, N, which are driven by a belt, and are geared, and which will crush the ore to small pieces. This work is easily performed, as the consistency of the ore isl broken by being cooled in cold water when in red-hot temperature. From the rollers the ore is carried direct to the melting furnace, where it will be mixed with the required uxes to be reduced to clean iron. If it should be necessary to have the orc Washed again after it went through the rollers, and before being brought in the cupolas, thc ore can fall from the rollers in a tank with water. The sulphur which is adhering yet to the ore will then be swimming on top of the water, Vand can be removed very easily. The ore after being taken out the water will be dried and mixed with uxes, and is ready for immediate use in the cupola.

What I claim as my invention, and like to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The mode of desulphurizing iron ore by heating it in a furnace to red-hot temperature, and throwing it then in cold water, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of processes for desulphurizing ironore, and preparing it for direct use in cupolas by heating, cooling in cold water, crushing between rollers, washing, and mixing with fluxes for the reduction to clean iron in cupolas.

3. The furnace A in combination with the movable plates S1 S2, and the hoisting gears M1 M2 for moving these plates with the ore, substantially as set forth and as shown in the drawingf JOHN LITTLE.

Witnesses:

JOHN W. LITTLE, Gro. M. BALL. 

